Yes you guessed it, it was hard, very hard to keep going year after year, exam attempts, reapplying to Canadian & US Matches, more and more student loans and personal loans and wife worked, I did part time jobs at gas stations and call centers then stopped working and dedicated myself to getting matched since 2011 to 2015.
Lots of Motivational Videos, Books, Oprah, Ellen, Anthony Robbins to name a few, "Think and Grow Rich", Les Brown, Brian Tracey, Eric Thomas, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Abe Lincoln, Henry Ford...It's how bad you want it:
"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful." Eric Thomashttp://www.mateuszm.com/47-motivational-quotes-eric-thomas/

Studying Universe, Multiverse Laws, Science:
"More is unknown than is known. We know how much dark energy there is because we know how it affects the universe's expansion. Other than that, it is a complete mystery. But it is an important mystery. It turns out that roughly 68% of the universe is dark energy. Dark matter makes up about 27%. The rest - everything on Earth, everything ever observed with all of our instruments, all normal matter - adds up to less than 5% of the universe. Come to think of it, maybe it shouldn't be called "normal" matter at all, since it is such a small fraction of the universe" https://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy
Basically all visible matter 5%, dark matter 27% and dark energy 68%. All thoughts, words, actions are energy, yes your thoughts. So if you get up at 2:30am to 3:00am, which I did for the last 8 months before getting matched and working in observership and only think of getting matched, wall notes, vision board and wok towards that the whole day and think of it before sleeping at night you are sending 95% to 99% energy towards it, 1% to 5% for wife, family, friends, yes, matched was #1, my wife #2 (even though I love her very much and she really supported me and wanted me to match as well), family and everyone else is #3 because they will give you foolish advice like start a business, open a gas station...trust yourself!

Most Important Secret: You Have To Keep Giving Back, donate food, clothing, toys (I go to dollar store or walmart and buy new stuff to donate..." Newton's third law, for every reaction there is an equal and opposite reaction...you have to 'propel' (my latest word) yourself, the boat moves by pushing water back, you walk by pushing ground back, you have to "anti-hoard", keep giving, helping everyone you can, which is what I am doing now. Tony Robbins: "Giving is Receiving"!!! You wonder why Oprah, Ellen and so many successful people give so much, no it is not because they are rich. "They are Rich because they have been Giving all their life", They are not giving because they are rich, common misconception.
Be positive: So positive that when people throw bricks at you, you make a building.

Summary:
"Be Happy, Give Good" Those 4 words took me years to come up with, each one is strong, "Be", make a conscious effort, "Happy" Always, Always, Always. "Give", Always, Always, Always. "Good" Always, even to your perceived enemies, because Universal law is that powerful, you get what you give.
This passive-aggressive stuff that 99% of the world is doing, including professionals, is going negative back to them, you wonder why there are only 2200 Billionaires out of 7.4 Billion Population: 0.00003% Financial Success!!!
#1. Breath your goals, I did that for each step, strived for 99 (at that time we had double digit scores) or 250 or something
#2. Get up early and work towards your goal positively! Think about your goals daily and nightly!
#3. Give, Give, Give and Ask Universe for only one thing in return, You Getting Matched into Residency and passing the Steps is a part of that
#4. Be Happy, Practice smiling in the mirror and keep smiling to everyone, even if negative responses from other (that is their karma) you Need to send Positive messages to the Universe (which is Multiverses now, based on current science...yes Infinite defined)

My pleasure gf1! Yes as Winston Churchill said: “Never, never, never give up.” Mentorship helped me a lot, find a mentor in your field. The book: "The successful match" by Dr. Desai helped me and I actually contacted him for advice and he helped me a lot! Professional service, costs money but advice and help was priceless! It is the main reason how I matched! Best, MKMD

Thank you for the wishes cloudyeyes! Yes always trust what your gut, your intuition and if deep down you really want to be something, someone then you go for it!! That is the advice from Arnold Schwarzenegger "You have to dig deep down, dig deep down inside and ask yourselves who do you want to be? Figuring out for yourself what makes you happy. No matter how crazy it may sound to other people. All the Best, MKMD

Dear Friend,
It was great to read your story. I am also an old graduate. I need some guidance. I have also registered for NRMP. I have applied to 10 programs but focusing on one program from where I hope to get a call for interview and also selection if everything worked well by the Grace of God. So the question is, how I need to proceed when matching starts?
Please advise this process.

Glad my life story inspired you!
Best to ask someone more recent but this was my situation:

The last time I entered ERAS in 2014 and thank God I matched in 2015. I applied to 80 some programs in Psychiatry throughout the US that did J1 or H1B visa as I am a Canadian Citizen. I focused all my energy on the program I was doing an observership in from May 2014 to March 2015. I networked at that institution and had the interview there and kept working there.

That was my only interview so on the NRMP matching Rank list, that was my number 1 choice.
If you have 2 or 3 or more interviews, I believe you have to Rank the programs you a) want to go to and b) the programs that will also Rank you Highly!! Please check this with other collegues!! I remember everyone talking about how vital the Rank order list is.

Please check the NRMP website and it will let you know when Rank order deadline is for applicants (you) and the programs (institutions), usually around January and February.

Again friend, hopefully someone from more recent Match like this past 2018 will be able to more up to date information.